23 October 2013

Second Committee of the 68th Session of the General Assembly of the UN

Wednesday, 23 October 2013

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. Chairman,

Thank you for giving me the floor to express the position of my delegation under this agenda item. At the outset, I would like to associate myself with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Furthermore, I would like to add a few points in my own national capacity.

Mr. Chairman,

Without dwelling extensively on the sub-items of this very important agenda, including culture and development, science and technology for development, as well as the middle income countries, I would like to take this opportunity and comment generally on some of the significant points related to global partnership and the role of the United Nations. In analyzing the trends and challenges of globalization, the need for managing globalization through strengthened and effective multilateralism is always emphasized; additionally, it is also called for a renewed global partnership for development in effectively tackling key development challenges. This issue gets more prominence within the context of current discussions on the emerging post-2015 United Nations development agenda. This is also one of the main reasons as to why United Nations should have a unique role in supporting national development efforts. In this regard, my delegation likes to refer to the noteworthy Reports of the Secretary General, four of which are presented today, under this agenda item, and tries to highlight , inter-alia, some of the main features and recommendations of these reports as following:

• The Secretary General eloquently expresses that in order to manage globalization, the central challenge for the post-2015 United Nations development agenda is to ensure that globalization benefits everyone, and facilitated by an inclusive multilateral system;

• It is also stressed that the principles of the Millennium Declaration remain highly relevant to the management of globalization, and they range from solidarity and non-interference, to common but differentiated responsibilities and capabilities, and the right to development and greater distributive justice;

• It, furthermore, reads that effective monitoring and accountability must be key features of the management of globalization. And in this regard, statistical and other systems must be strengthened to support monitoring and to develop a robust baseline of information;

• More importantly, it says that global commitments must be translated into country-level commitments, with specific targets to which all partners can commit through inclusive participatory processes. And, national ownership should be fostered and development financing aligned with national priorities.

• In achieving the development goals and successfully address globalization challenges, it says that improvements in people’s well-being should not be based on unsustainable patterns of production, consumption or resource use; and a renewed global partnership to address globalization challenges is needed, which would enhance policy coherence for development in the context of a rapidly changing globalized world, and ensure that development cooperation strategies and programs are flexible enough to respond to these changes; It must be based on the principles of solidarity, equality, national ownership and self-determination, mutual respect and global responsibility among equal partners, taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, my delegation strongly maintains the point raised in the report that for the United Nations to strengthen its effectiveness and enhance its relevance in the new development landscape, there is a need for longer-term strategic repositioning of the United Nations development system. Additionally, the global dialogue on globalization and interdependence needs to be located in a global forum where all voices can be heard, and the United Nations should continue to serve as a hub for candid and inclusive exchanges on issues relating to globalization and interdependence.